Hawaii Suffers 1st Swine Flu-Related Death
Patient Died June 19 At Tripler Army Medical Center
POSTED: 4:47 pm HST June 29, 2009
UPDATED: 4:59 pm HST June 29, 2009
HONOLULU -- Hawaii health officials announced Monday afternoon that the state recorded its first death related to the swine flu.
The victim was a patient in his or her 60s. The patient died at Tripler Army Medical Center on June 19.
The patient contracted pneumonia as a complication to the H1N1 influenza, officials said.
"These two new severe cases of novel H1N1 are a sad reminder of the seriousness of influenza, particularly for those at-risk for complications," said Dr. Sarah Park, of Hawaii DOH. "Unfortunately, we knew this would happen eventually, as we have flu-related deaths and hospitalizations every year from regular seasonal influenza."
"The influenza infection itself was not the primary cause of death in this case, it was a contributing factor to the patient?s already declining condition due to multiple serious health issues," Park said.
More details coming.
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